Document FR 2 716 149 describes such an articulated coupling, the purpose of which is to protect the structures of railway vehicles and the connecting devices between the vehicles in the event of minor collisions.
Such an articulated coupling is used in particular when it is mounted between two cars of a railway vehicle each having two decks, because such double-deck cars have a greater weight as compared with cars having only a single deck.
For railway vehicles having only single-deck cars, a different impact absorbing device is used.
Document FR 2 879 549 describes an exemplary embodiment of such a device, which is arranged at the front of the railway vehicle and not between the cars.
Such a device is satisfactory for railway vehicles having a small number of cars, for example up to eleven cars.
However, for railway vehicles having a larger number of cars, for example twenty cars or more, energy absorbing devices provided at the front of the vehicles are no longer sufficient.
Attempts have therefore been made to add energy absorbing devices between the cars of such vehicles, in order to dampen impacts further in the event of a collision.
The articulated couplings described in document FR 2 716 149 are not suitable for arrangement between two cars having a single deck because they are bulky. In particular, they require the entire form of the devices that allow persons to pass from one car to another to be changed.
The object of the invention was, therefore, to produce an articulated coupling between two cars whose space requirement would be substantially identical to that of existing articulated couplings between two cars each having a single deck, and which would also include means for absorbing impacts in the event of a collision.